Stem cells

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT) |
May 25, 2005

Other nations are recruiting American scientists and encouraging their own scientists to focus on embryonic stem-cell research.

Even more important, states are following California's lead and appropriating millions for funding this research.

To these states, including Connecticut and New York, this promising research is an economic development tool, a way to attract scientists and the businesses that will develop in this field.

Proponents of embryonic stem-cell research believe it holds the promise of effective treatments and even cures for many serious illnesses, including diabetes and Alzheimer's.

Embryonic cells have the potential to grow into any cell or tissue in the body. When the cells are extracted for research, the embryo is destroyed. And so some anti-abortion activists are strongly opposed to embryonic stem-cell research.

In 2001, the president offered a compromise on embryonic stem-cell research. He said research on the stem-cell "lines" already developed could be funded with federal money, but the development of new lines could not be done with federal money.

At the time, the compromise held the promise of some valuable research being done. In retrospect, of course, it was an impractical effort to stop scientific progress.

It turned out the pre-2001 lines are contaminated and not useful for research, so the president's 2001 plan doesn't provide even the limited hope he offered.

Public opinion polls show broad support for embryonic stem-cell research. Most of that support is based on personal experience with the debilitating diseases that scientists believe embryonic stem-cell research could address.

Public opinion was reflected in the House debate Tuesday of the bill that would allow the expansion of stem-cell research with federal funding.

The vote was 238-194, well short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the president's promised veto. A similar bill is awaiting action in the Senate.

The embryos to be used in the research are embryos stored at fertility clinics that will not be used by the couples who own them.

If not used for research, if not donated to others who wish to have children, these embryos will be discarded, so there is a weakness in the argument that using them for research is what will destroy them.

There are many ethical questions surrounding embryonic stem-cell research. The best way to address those issues is through federal funding and the strings that come with federal funding.

Embryonic stem-cell research is moving forward, and it should. But it should move forward with federal funding and regulation.